How to Use methyl in a Sentence

methyl

noun
Definition of methylnext
  • White wanted to find a way to add a methyl group at the end of the drug building process.
    — Robert F. Service, Science | AAAS, 16 Mar. 2020
  • One of the best studied is a molecular cap called a methyl group.
    — Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2018
  • The oil inside the gland is identical to that found on the skin and is a mixture of methyl esters.
    — Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 10 Aug. 2016
  • The tank car may have held a flammable liquid in it called methyl isobutyl ketone, used as a solvent.
    — Doha Madani, NBC News, 10 Sep. 2019
  • The outside of the spools are coated in molecules called methyl markers.
    — Nick Stockton, Wired News, 12 May 2015
  • The second tested the effects of spraying methyl anthranilate around the bait box.
    — Stephen Ornes, The Atlantic, 15 May 2021
  • It was replaced with MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether), an oxygenate.
    — Bob Weber, chicagotribune.com, 21 Oct. 2021
  • So methylation turns genes off, while demethylation (the removal of that same methyl group) turns them on.
    — Bárbara Pinho, Discover Magazine, 17 Feb. 2021
  • Genes are turned on and off depending on where methyl groups attach to DNA and histones.
    — National Geographic, 28 Dec. 2022
  • Some have additives in the form of cobalt chloride or methyl violet.
    — Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Dec. 2020
  • With its added methyl-group molecule, Pervitin races across the blood-brain barrier a bit faster than Benzedrine.
    — Fox News, 25 June 2019
  • Throughout the piece, Kennedy confused and conflated ethyl and methyl mercury.
    — Michael Specter, The New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2017
  • Most could pick up the smell of methyl mercaptan, a sulfur compound released as our guts digest the vegetable.
    — Thomas Goetz, WIRED, 17 Nov. 2007
  • Citric acid, methyl cellulose and polysorbate 60 also show up in some milks.
    — Jolene Thym, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2017
  • Methanol is known as methyl or wood alcohol and is extremely toxic.
    — Harold McGee, WSJ, 24 Oct. 2020
  • When smooshed, the ants release a chemical from the same family of methyl ketones that gives blue cheese its distinctive funk.
    — Ashley Braun, Discover Magazine, 22 July 2018
  • These cave fish have elevated levels of an enzyme that adds methyl groups to DNA compared to surface fish.
    — Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 1 June 2018
  • The formula contains kaolin and bentonite clays to help soak up oils without stripping the skin, along with a sodium methyl cocoyl taurate.
    — Sarah Y. Wu, Marie Claire, 7 Apr. 2021
  • This process of adding methyl groups to DNA is called methylation, and is said to be linked to biological development and growth.
    — Claudia Harmata, PEOPLE.com, 19 Nov. 2019
  • Methylation is the process by which cells attach chemicals called methyl groups to DNA molecules.
    — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, 27 Oct. 2017
  • One common chemical plant defense is the release of the foul-tasting substance methyl jasmonate.
    — Ben Panko, Smithsonian, 11 July 2017
  • One common chemical plant defense is the release of the foul-tasting substance methyl jasmonate.
    — Ben Panko, Smithsonian, 11 July 2017
  • King also highlighted methyl nicotinate and tripeptide in the formula, both of which add to the product's plumping effect.
    — Sarah Hoffmann, Allure, 16 Feb. 2023
  • These patches also have camphor, menthol, and methyl salicylate in them (think: Icy Hot), which likely adds to the relief.
    — The Editors, Marie Claire, 17 Apr. 2019
  • This product also has methyl salicylate in it, which would contribute to the effect.
    — The Editors, Marie Claire, 17 Apr. 2019
  • An important way that cells turn genes on and off at the right time and place is by attaching chemical tags called methyl groups to sites that control gene activity.
    — Bob Holmes, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 May 2021
  • In addition, the factory had stopped using a pesticide called methyl bromide, the researchers said.
    — Fox News, 12 May 2017
  • One way this happens is by methylation, or the addition of methyl groups to a DNA molecule's chemical structure.
    — Leslie Nemo, Discover Magazine, 20 Nov. 2019
  • The taste derived from L-aspartyl-L-phenylalnine methyl ester, a dipeptide of amino acids that is 200 times sweeter than sucrose or table sugar.
    — Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2022
  • The pathway also regulates the expression of genes (by creating methyl groups that can essentially turn genes on and off).
    — James Hamblin, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2017

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'methyl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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